


Our Love is a Slow Burn

by BriMarie



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff fest, Inspired by When Harry Met Sally, Lime, Longing, Nini Salazar roberts - Freeform, Slow Burn, high school musical the musical the series - Freeform, hsmtmts, ninixricky, rickini, ricky bowen - Freeform, rickyxnini, rini - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24104845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriMarie/pseuds/BriMarie
Summary: An older Ricky talks about his most intense romance with a girl who appears in and out of his life at the most unexpected times.~Based off of When Harry Met Sally~*Rini fluff/lime*Setting: Various points in time and 2033.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen & Nini Salazar-Roberts, Ricky Bowen/Nini Salazar-Roberts
Comments: 8
Kudos: 49





	Our Love is a Slow Burn

2033

There was a knock at Ricky's door, which is what he expected around this time of day. When he opened it, he saw a shorter middle aged man carrying a recorder and a notepad. The man gave him a small grin and reached out his hand to him.

"Hi, my name is Shawn and I'll be interviewing you for an article for the Times Magazine. May I come in?" Shawn asked.

Ricky took his hand and shook it as he widened the door gap. "Awe yes my manager said you'd be here at noon. Come on in, and take a seat on the living room couch."

The man followed Ricky to his living room, and they sat adjacent from each other. Ricky watched as the man set up shop on his table. When he was done, Shawn cleared his throat and turned on the hefty recorder. 

"This is Shawn of the Times Magazine interviewing an international singer, heartthrob, and songwriter Mr. Ricky Bowen. He's agreed to let me interview him about his life. Isn't that right Mr. Bowen?" Shawn asked.

Ricky waved at him. "Please call me Ricky. Also, yes that's what I intended."

"Well first things first, have you ever been in love?" Shawn asked.

Ricky was thrown off by the question and began blushing immediately. "Oh wow uh I wasn't ready for such an intense question right away. Uh I guess yeah I have been in love at least once yeah."

Shawn chuckled lightly at his reaction. "Sorry to sneak that on you so suddenly, but my boss really wanted me to get that info out of ya." 

Ricky just nodded awkwardly. 

"Next question, what was your most intense love story and with who?"

Ricky's face returned to a red color as he thought back to the only person on earth that has ever captivated him. It was like she had put him under her spell or something.

"Well you see its kind of a long and funny story. One that is so bizarre yet so intense." Ricky said avoiding eye contact.

Shawn was intrigued by his answer. "Please go on. I have til 3."

Ricky sighed and got in a more comfortable position.

"You probably wanna get comfy cuz this is gonna be a while. It all started back in kindergarten."

***  
2008- Kindergarten 

Ricky had first experienced the emotion of love when he was only 5 years old, but he didn't even notice it was there at the time due to his childlike innocence.

He had been playing in his room with his Legos when he heard a loud move in truck pull into the house across the street's driveway. He looked out of the window to see what all the ruckus was and was shocked to see someone finally moving into that house that's been on the market for ten years.

He nosily watched them unload from his window and noticed that the couple was two females. He had never seen two females kiss before, but he wasn't disgusted or weirded out by it. Besides something else caught his attention, or should I say someone else.

A little girl who was around the same age as him had popped out of the car and was holding a teddy bear to her face. She seemed upset by her surroundings and made a pouty face as she stomped into the new house. Ricky didn't even know who this girl was yet, and he already wanted to know her.

He didn't know what exactly about her appealed to him. Maybe it was her two high ponytails that were wrapped with matching pink ribbons. Maybe it was her pink jell-o sandals that matched so well with her Hello Kitty shirt. There was really no telling why; he just had a gut feeling he needed to be around her.

A few hours later, a ring came at the Bowen's door. Ricky wasn't paying it any mind in his room since usually their guest were all coworkers of his parents or someone doing repairs on the house. Ricky knew it wasn't either of those people at the door when he heard the reactions from his parents from downstairs.

"Welcome to the neighborhood. Please come in! We have a kid around your daughters age too. Mike go get Richard." Lynne said. Ricky had already overheard everything and knew who was at the door despite not looking yet. He dropped all his toys and ran out of his door running into his dad in the process.

"Woah slow down there bud. We have guest over. We'd like you to meet their daughter who's the same age as you. What're the odds?" Mike said.

Ricky smiled widely and ran down the stairs quickly. He had jumped the last three stairs causing him to make a loud thump which caught everyone's attention.

"Carol, Dana, Nina this is my son Richard. Richard this is our new neighbors say hi." Lynne said. Ricky waved his hands politely at the two women but had his eyes on the little girl holding a teddy bear in front of him.

"So nice to meet you young man." Dana said.

"Nina why don't you go play with Richard while the adults talk if that's okay with you Lynne." Carol suggested.

Lynne nodded and shooed them away. "Yeah totally, go play in your room with Nina."

The two looked at each other awkwardly and began walking to his room. Ricky didn't have time to clean his room so there were Legos and action figures everywhere. 

Ricky rarely felt embarrassed about his messy room, but this time he felt blood rush to his face of embarrassment. "Sorry about the mess. I would've cleaned up if I'd known you guys were coming." Ricky said slurring some of the vowels.

Nina shrugged as she rested her teddy on his bed and soon joined it. "It's fine. You should see my house right now. It's a mess!"

He smiled and felt a little better. He liked her a lot more already for not being judgy. She began to play with some of the toys on his bed. 

"You like Star Wars too?" She asked as she played with a stuffed Yoda doll on his bed.

"Yeah it's one of my favorite movies." Ricky said as he plopped next to her on the bed.

"My favorite character is Princess Leia of course cuz she's amazing." Nina said matter of factly. Ricky rolled his eyes.

"Clearly Han Solo is the best."

She scoffed and rested her hand on her chest. "Nuh uh! We all know Leia could kick Han Solo's butt anytime!"

Ricky didn't feel like fighting over this, so he decided to let her win. "Sure princess." He said sarcastically. Little did he know, that nickname would stick.

She had noticed he had let her win, which made her victory unsatisfying for her. "Well what kind of name is Richard anyways?" She said randomly.

He looked at her confused and a little offended. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Well Richard sounds like an old dudes name. I should I give you a new nickname that sounds appropriate for your age. How about Ricky?" 

Ricky smirked at that idea and nodded. "Yeah I like that. Thanks Nin-Ni- Nini." He stuttered out. Ricky had a speech impediment that made him mispronounce vowels, especially A's. Nina looked at him weird at the name he gave her. He looked embarrassed of his disability.

"Nini, I like it. Call me that for now on." She once again made him smile after feeling bad about himself. The rest of the night had been a blast and the parents had exchanged numbers before departing for the night.

Ricky and Nini continued to be friends for a solid year before he barbecued her favorite Barbie doll in the microwave the week after they got out of school. She was so mad that she stormed away to her house leaving her teddy bear in the process. She didn't accept his apology for a whole week. 

Ricky tried to apologize the next week, but when one of her moms had told him that she had went to Colorado for the summer for a singing camp, he felt defeated. 

Little did he realize that that would be his last moment with her for another five years.

***  
2013- 5th grade

The Salazar-Roberts kept in contact with the Bowen's throughout the years, but got less close overtime after they sent Nini off to boarding school after 1st grade. Ricky didn't even know what she looked like anymore.

The last time Dana or Carol came over for dinner was the week after Nini left for that singing camp. They were less motivated to come over without Nini there. And as time passed, they pretty much just became somebody that the Bowen's used to know. He still kept that teddy bear though as a little reminder that she existed. 

He had just been playing on the monkey bars with his friend Big Red at his school's playground during recess when he had heard a bunch of kids chanting the word "fight" repetitively as they surrounded something. Of course this got both of their attention, and they ran to see what on earth was going on. 

Apparently two girls who Ricky couldn't see the faces of were rolling on the ground and scratching at each other. The crowd went nuts when the smaller girl yanked at the blond girls head. "Why are they fighting?!" Ricky asked one of the male bystanders. "No clue, but this is totally wicked." The boy said.

Finally a teacher came and split them up. All the other kids ran away, but Ricky stayed close enough so that he can see who the girls were. The blond had been a classmate of his named Amber Robinson who was pretty mean, but the smaller brunette looked oddly familiar to someone he used to know.

"What on earth has gotten into you two? Especially you Miss Salazar-Roberts! It's your first day and you've already caused problems!" The teacher yelled. 

Ricky felt his breath leave his body for a second when he heard that name that he hasn't heard in many years.

He observed her and had realized that that was indeed the girl who he's kept the teddy bear of all these years. She overall looked how he remembered her except she was a bit taller yet still very short compared to most 10 year old's. 

Nini folded her arms and made an angry face. "Well she started it! She called me a bra stuffer!" Nini yelled.

Ricky chuckled under his breath when he overheard that.

The blond girl stuck her tongue out at her. "Yeah well you know I'm right...bra stuffer." The blond girl said tauntingly. 

Nini ripped herself from the arms of the teacher and began slapping the blond again. Kids who were secretly watching from the sidelines began to chant again and laugh as Nini destroyed this poor little girl. The teacher ripped Nini off the top of her and picked her up bridal style.

"That's it Ms. Salazar-Roberts, I'm calling your parents! This is unacceptable. Ms. Robinson you can follow me to the principals office as well." The teacher said. Amber wiped herself off and followed the teacher as she carried a squirming Nini in her hands.

Big Red walked up to Ricky and nudged him. "Yo I heard the new girl was a little different, but dang I didn't expect that! Who would've thought that a little girl like that could hurt Amber Robinson of all people? Oh man I think I love her already." Red said. That last sentence broke Ricky out of his trance and made him glare at his redheaded friend.

"Hey remember that neighbor I had that I told you about when we first met in 2nd grade?"

Red nodded. "Yeah well that was her." Ricky said.

Red gasped loudly. "Are you serious?! That's Nini; the first girl you ever like liked? That's insane! I thought she went to boarding school though?"

"Yeah me too. I guess she moved back without me recognizing it."

"Should we try to get to know her. I mean she was your first best friend."

Ricky thought about it for a second before answering. "Hmm maybe." The bell that signified recess was over had rung, and a herd of students began running to the front door. 

Ricky couldn't get his mind off of that girl all day. He had overheard from other students that she had been taken out of school early today while Amber only got a slap on the wrist, which was believable since Amber's parents were the highest donors at their school. 

The moment he got home, he had dropped everything in his room and ran over to the Salazar-Roberts home. He realized it would probably be awkward since they haven't spoken in years, but it didn't matter to him if that meant he got to see Nini again.

He had rung the doorbell ignoring all of his thoughts that said not to. After a few seconds, Dana had opened the door. She had looked genuinely surprised to see him, which was completely understandable. "Uh hey Ms. Dana how are you? It's been a while." Ricky said awkwardly fumbling his curls. "Uh hey Ricky, it has been a long time. I'm doing fine. Would you like something?" Dana asked.

"Well uh you see, I saw that Nini was finally back in town and I was wondering if we could I don't know hang out like old times if that's okay with you."

Dana made a disappointed face. "I wish she could, but unfortunately she's grounded for a month for getting in a fight. Maybe next time?"

Ricky nodded. "Yeah maybe. Take care Ms. Dana." Ricky walked back to his house.

Ricky was disappointed he couldn't hang out with her after not seeing her for so many years, but he understood. When evening finally arrived, he had been playing on his guitar when he saw a figure in his peripheral vision. It was Nini playing on her ukulele in her room. She looked pretty distraught and he was pretty sure she had been recently crying.

He had watched as she played her instrument with a lot of passion. He saw her lips moving and figured she must've been singing. Suddenly as if she could tell she was being watched, she turns her head to look at him. He blushed and looked away quickly hoping she didn't see him. He looked back at the window to see if she was still looking, and she indeed was.

She had a smirk on her face and waved lightly. He waved back awkwardly. He mouthed the words are you okay to her. She grabbed her mini white board and began writing. When she held up her board, it said "No, got in a fight today and got grounded." Ricky grabbed his mini white board and began writing back.

"Yeah I saw. You totally kicked her butt." He wrote. He watched her laugh, which made him laugh too.

"Well she totally had it coming. No one calls Nini a bra stuffer." 

"To be fair, Amber is the literal worst." He wrote.

"Enough about her though, how have you been?" 

"Pretty good, my parents have been a little weird though. Nothing has really changed since you left." He wrote.

"Sorry to hear about your folks. I have definitely changed since I last saw you though." She wrote.

"Yeah no kidding. I didn't know you could hit like that." He wrote.

She chuckled. "Yeah well boarding school teaches you that. It is nothing like Zoey 101. I feel robbed." That got a little laugh out of him.

"Yeah I'd be mad too."

"Hey speaking of me leaving, sorry for not keeping in contact with you."

"Yeah well I had it coming when I burned your doll. I promise to buy you a new one."

"Oh my god, you don't have to. I was overreacting."

"I actually still have your teddy bear btw."

"Keep it. You tended to like it more than I did."

"Really? Ok cool I shall name him Franklin."

Her head turned around to her door and she began to frantically write. "My mom is at my door. TTYL!" She closed her blinds before he could write back. He began writing anyways and held up the board at his window. It read, "I miss you." He sighed and threw the board to the side.

Two days after, he had bought her that Barbie with his two weeks worth of allowance. He couldn't give it to her at school since she didn't take the bus, he never had seen her in the hallways, they didn't share the same periods, and she was banned from recess for the next month. They had began to talk through the window with their boards for the past two days catching up with each other. He was so thrilled to have her back in his life even if they couldn't contact each other normally.

They were currently talking to each other on their boards. "I actually bought you the Barbie."

She made a shocked face and began laughing. "OMG you did not! You didn't have to do that."

"Nah, you deserve it princess."

She blushed at the nickname she hasn't heard in many years. "Well how about you put it in the mailbox, and I'll come and get it when my moms are asleep."

"Yep, sounds good to me."

When it got a little dark, they said their goodbyes and he had walked over to put the Barbie in her mailbox. She went down around 10 pm to receive it, and she smiled at the doll in her hands. She hugged it and promised to cherish it forever. She decided to name it Princess because it reminded her of Ricky.

A full month had passed, and Ricky was ecstatic to finally be able to hang out with Nini in person again. For some reason, she hadn't appeared in the window for the past three days, but he payed it no mind. She still was banned from recess, but he remembered her mom saying her punishment would be over by the end of the month. When he got home from school, he dropped his things and ran over to her house. 

He eagerly rung the doorbell. Carol opened the door and was shocked by his presence. "Oh hi Ricky, what brings you here?" She asked.

"I was wondering if Nini could come over to play." Ricky said with the biggest smile on his face.

Carol frowned, which automatically made his mood change. "Oh uh, I'm sorry sweetie but she isn't coming back for a while."

Ricky was stunned by this news. "Why?"

"Well you see, she had still been acting up at school and at home, so we decided to send her to military school in California three days ago." Carol explained.

Ricky felt his heart drop. She was shipped off again?! Without saying goodbye? Why didn't she say anything? It seemed like Carol knew what was going on in his head.

"She didn't know she was being sent off. She would've been more resistant had we told her."

Ricky felt his eyes become glassy, but he didn't want her to see him cry. "Oh..." Is all he could get out without combusting.

She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She really loved that Barbie you gave her. Matter of fact, she brought it with her." Carol said trying to comfort him.

It only helped a little to know that she was thinking of him before she left, but it still didn't change the fact that she literally isn't coming back for who knows how long again. "Thanks, I'll be going now." Ricky said as he ran to his house and into his room. He plopped on his bed face front and began crying into his pillow. Why does this keep happening to him? He slept with Franklin at his side for the 1st few weeks she was gone for comfort.

And he didn't see her for another three years

***

8th grade- 2016

Ricky was breathing harder than usual in Big Red's bathroom. He had been extremely anxious about this party he was attending in a few minutes. See it wasn't just any party. It was a kissing party. Ricky had never even kissed a girl, hell he hasn't even dated a girl! He was nervous he would be bad at it, and the girl would make fun of him.

Big Red opened the bathroom door. "Yo dude are you good? My dad said he's ready for us."

Ricky fixed up his outfit and nodded. "Yo, do you have the Listerine strips?"

Red nodded and they both ran up the stairs. On the car ride there, Ricky had been balling his fist up letting his nails dig into his skin not noticing he was lightly bleeding in the process. 

Big Red noticed this and gripped his wrist. "Yo you good? You're ripping your skin off." Red asked in a concerning tone.

Ricky looked down at his bloody palms and wiped them on his black jeans. "Oh yeah, I'm totally good bro." He lied. Red didn't believe him, but he decided to let it go for now. Once they finally arrived at Gina's house, Ricky began to try to calm himself down as they approached the front door.

Big Red knocked and a perky Gina had opened the door. "Hey you guys, you came at a good time. Come on in!" She said opening the door wider for them. They followed her to her basement and was greeted by all the familiar faces. They joined them in the circle that was formed so that they could spin the bottle to do seven minutes in heaven.

"Is this everybody?" EJ asked.

Gina shook her head. "No, I'm actually expecting another girl to even it out. She should be here any minute now." The doorbell rang and Gina smiled. "Oh, that must be her. Be back in a jiffy." Gina said as she ran up her stairs. Ricky was talking to Big Red to calm his nerves. 

Okay Ricky, none of the girls look intimidating and you know pretty much everybody here. Nothing could possibly make you uneasy, You'll be just fine. He said in his head. He heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and was prepared to see whoever the last girl was. Hopefully she was nice. 

"Hey guys, this is my good friend Nini. I met her when I was in military school in 6th grade. She's really cool."

They all waved at her except for Big Red and Ricky. Big Red looked over at Ricky to see if he was equally as shocked and judging by his facial expression, he was. Nini didn't seem to have noticed him yet and politely sat next to Gina on the floor.

Ricky couldn't take his eyes off of her. She had definitely changed since he last saw her. She had grown about three inches and her hair had gotten shorter, and she seemed to be wearing light makeup. She was so beautiful to him. He hadn't even noticed he was staring at her until Big Red tapped his shoulder.

"Dude stop staring it's weird." Red whispered. Ricky looked at the ground awkwardly. "Alright now that everybody is here, we can start. Since I'm the host, I'll go first." Gina said as she spun the bottle. After a few seconds of spinning, it finally landed on EJ. He had smirked and sprayed breath freshener in his mouth. "Aye, starting off nicely." She rolled her eyes and got up from her spot.

"Oh shut up and just follow me to the closet. Carlos start the timer to 2 minutes. No need to do 7. That's too long."

He did as he was told and EJ followed her to the closet. The others just talked amongst each other as they waited patiently. Ricky had caught himself looking at her again waiting for her to finally notice him. After a 30 seconds, she finally looked his way and made a surprised face.

She smiled widely and waved at him. He smiled back with just as much enthusiasm and waved back. She mouthed the words "How've you been?" He replied with a simple thumbs up. Their little moment was interrupted by the sound of the timer going off. "You guys can come out now!" Carlos yelled. The two came out with rosy cheeks and swollen lips.

"Oo la la, it looks like you guys had a nice time." Carlos joked.

Gina lightly kicked him and stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh shut up. Nini you're up next." Gina said trying to change the subject.

Nini grabbed the bottle and spun it. Ricky looked at her face and was wondering who she wanted it to land on. It seemed like a million years had passed by the time it finally stopped. The bottle finally landed on Ricky.

Ricky began getting the jitters and felt blood rush to his face. He looked up at her and saw she had also had rosy cheeks. They both got up and went to the closet. They closed the door and turned on the light in the closet. They awkwardly looked at each other for a few seconds. "Um hey, it's been a while." She said trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah three years to be exact."

"Yeah sorry for not saying goodbye again. I kinda was shipped to Cali without knowing." She explained.

"Yeah I know. One of your moms told me when I went to your house."

She looked confused by his statement. "You went over to my house? Why?"

He shrugged and scratched his head. "I just knew you were gonna be free from punishment, so I went over there to see if you wanted to hang out or whatever." 

She smiled. "I never knew that. I would've totally loved that."

That brought a smile to his face. "I still have that bear actually."

"Oh really? That makes me feel better cuz I still have my Barbie, Princess."

"Princess?" 

"That's the name of the doll. I named her after the nickname you used to call me."

He felt his cheeks begin to burn for what felt like the millionth time in the past ten minutes. "Oh really? That's kinda cute."

_You're kinda cute._

He thought. "Why'd you get shipped off to military school?"

"Well if you remember me in 5th grade, you'd remember that I was kind of the worst and would just start fights and reek havoc for no dang reason. My mom's had finally had enough and sent me to a military school to get me to learn discipline, and it worked overall."

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you act out so much?"

"Well I was mad because my parents were always on my case about getting my grades up and kept shipping me places when they didn't know what else to do with me. Also they just never listened to me during my elementary days which added on to the anger, so I took it out on other people. Luckily, I'm not like that anymore." 

He nodded. "Well that explains it. Are you going back to military school after this weekend ends?" He asked hopefully.

She nodded her head. "I wish I wasn't. I'm so over it. I can't wait to move back home."

"Yeah me too."

They began to stare at each other and neither noticed that their faces were slowly inching closer together.

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise interrupted their moment. They both jumped away from each other and avoided eye contact. Gina opened the door and smirked when she saw their faces. "Oo it looks like you guys had a good time." She said teasingly. 

"Oh shut up." Ricky said as he and Nini left the small closet.

The rest of the night had gone by smoothly, and Nini and Ricky had separated themselves from the group when the kissing games were over. They hadn't wanted to play spin the bottle after their turn, so Ricky still remained a virgin to kissing. Big Red had been getting comfy with Ashlyn since Ricky had left him for her, but he honestly didn't mind. She was really cool and he hasn't seen Nini in years, so it didn't bother him if he wanted to catch up.

Ashlyn and Big Red were actually talking about how close Nini and Ricky were getting. Big Red had already informed her of their weird past, so it made the scene much cuter to watch from the distance. They weren't the only ones who noticed their chemistry. Gina and EJ were also watching as the two were sitting very close on the couch in the other room. Ricky's hand was resting on top of her knee, and all of her attention was on him.

Gina and EJ did not know their history yet, so they were amazed at how two strangers bonded so quickly. "Do you think that they possibly knew each other before the party?" EJ asked.

Gina shrugged. "I mean it's not impossible because she did live in Salt Lake before going to Cali."

"Hm interesting, I'll have to ask him about it later."

A few hours later, the party had ended. The only people left were Ashlyn, Red, Ricky, and Nini. Ricky and Big Red were cleaning up together, and Red was dying to know what on earth they were talking about for that long. Big Red nudged him. "Dude what's up with you and Nini?" Red asked with a smirk on his face.

Ricky rolled his eyes and tried to cover his blush. "It's nothing dude. We were just catching up on missed time. I mean three years is a long time to not see someone."

Big Red made an mmhmm noise and Ricky just hit him playfully. "Sure, and how do you explain all the giggling and blushing and whispers in the ear. And don't think I didn't notice the longing touches."

"Oh my god, you are too much."

After another 30 minutes went by, Nini's mom finally arrived. "Oh hey my mom's here." Nini said to Gina. 

"Oh okay I'll lock you out." Gina said.

"Actually I'll do it. You've done enough already." Ricky intruded.

Gina smirked and backed off. "Sure Bowen. You do you." She walked away.

Ricky followed Nini up the stairs to the door. They both stopped in front of the door and looked at each other.

"It was really nice seeing you again Ricky. Hopefully I'll see you soon." She said.

"Yeah I'm gonna miss you. I always loved talking to you."

She blushed at his words. "Well when you miss me, you can just hold onto Franklin and I'll do the same with my Barbie."

He chuckled. "Yeah I'll do that. Take care Princess."

"You too."

They both stared at each other with so much longing in their eyes. Both were breathing harder than usual, and they began to slowly close the distance between them. Nini wrapped her arms around his neck and Ricky rested his hands on her hips.

Nini had stepped on her tippy toes and finally rested her lips on his. The kiss was sweet and full of passion. Ricky never knew kissing someone could feel so amazing, but I guess that's what happens when Nini kisses you.

When they finally released each other, they had both rested their heads on top of each other. Both of their hearts were beating loudly and fast in sync. "Was that your first kiss too?" Ricky asked in what Nini thought was the most adorable voice ever.

Nini giggled and nodded her head. "Yeah, and it was perfect." They both smiled and hugged each other.

"I really should get going though."

Ricky tried to cover his disappointment. "Oh right sorry. Um have a safe trip back." He released her.

"See you later Bowen."

She opened the door and left for the third time. Every bone in his body told him to run after her and tell her not to go, or to tell her his true feelings for her. He didn't though. He knew that could mess things up, and he knew she had to leave once again.

He watched her from the window as she drove away. He felt his heart begin to ache the further she got. He sighed in defeat and laid his head on the door. "Bye Nini."

And another 5 years went by.

***

12th grade- 2021

EJ and a few other jocks at East High had managed to save enough money over the year to rent a mansion for two nights. All seniors in Salt Lake were invited even if they didn't attend East High. It was the biggest graduation party of the year. It felt like they were living in some 90s raunchy comedy like Can't Hardly Wait or American Pie.

Ricky had went with a group of friends which included Big Red, Gina, Ashlyn, Carlos, and Seb. Even though they went as a group, they all knew they'd eventually split off. Ashlyn and Big Red were dating, so naturally they split off first (probably trying to find a room). Carlos and Seb ran off and signed up for the mud fight that was happening in the basement. Gina decided to join the people doing Just Dance in the living room. Ricky on the other hand decided to just go to the kitchen for a few beers.

He had saw a bunch of kids chanting "CHUG" on repeat as some jock was drinking from a keg upside down. Ricky just snuck a few beers out of the fridge and just watched in amusement as this guy tries to walk after that. After he got bored of watching a bunch of jocks destroy their livers, he decided to check out the pool outside.

"Calabunga!" One of the stoners named Skylar from his school yelled as he jumped off the roof into the massive pool. The splash was huge and had got on him a bit. The bystanders cheered on when he popped up out of the water. He looked across the pool and saw a familiar figure on the other side. He walked a little closer and squinted his eyes to make her figure out better. He smiled when he realized who it was. Nini Salazar- Roberts.

She was wearing jeaned shorts, her hair was curly and had highlights in them, she had worn small wedges, and she was wearing a strapless white top. She was more gorgeous than he remembered her. He began to approach her, but was interrupted by the same stoner kid that just jumped off the roof. "Dudeee you gotta try this new strain I bought. It'll have you seeing the future man." Ricky didn't mind smoking weed, but he wasn't in the mood right now when something more important was in front of him.

"Oh no thanks Skylar, maybe next time." Ricky said as he tried to walk away, but Skylar stopped him again.

"Dude I'm not kidding; this is that shit the cast of That 70s Show be smoking man. You've really gotta try it." He said placing it in front of his face.

Ricky pushed it away a little more aggressively. "I'm the DD, so I can't sorry. Okay bye Skylar." Ricky lied as he quickly walked away before he could say anymore.

By the time Ricky had looked back to where she was standing, she was gone. He groaned in annoyance and tried to look for her in the house. He searched through the crowd of dancing intoxicated people first. He knew it'd be hard since she was pretty short compared to some of these people even with heels on. After what felt like forever, he finally spotted her in the middle dancing with some girls he'd never seen before. 

He began to slowly approach her, but stopped when he saw a jock come up behind her and begin to grind on her. He grimaced as he watched this slimy dude basically try to bang her with her clothes on, and by the looks of it she wasn't enjoying herself. She walked away a little bit, but was pulled back by him. She began to tense up as he forcefully held her closer. Ricky had seen enough.

"Please let go." She said so pitifully it made Ricky wanna cry for her.

"But you're so sexy babe. Don't you wanna dance with me a little longer." The jock felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to look at whoever dared to talk to him.

"Yo she said she doesn't want to." Ricky said.

The jock let go of her and fully turned his attention to him. "Mind your own business pipsqueak." The jock said as he turned back to Nini.

Ricky knew damn well that this man could take him in fight since the jock was 6'4 and probably weighed 350 lbs., but it was worth it if it meant protecting someone from getting assaulted. Ricky worked up the nerve to push him this time, which he definitely could tell pissed off the jock. "Yo what the fuck man? You tryna start a fight?" The jock said loudly. Ricky gulped and tried his best to try to appear strong.

"If that means it'll stop you from taking advantage of her, then yes I am."

The jock shoved him harshly causing him to stumble but not fall. Ricky pushed him back with all his might causing the jock to fall on his ass. This caught a lot of people's attention. They were about to start again until some blond girl got between them. "Brad what the hell are you doing?" She said. Brad straightened up and had looked like he had been caught doing something bad.

"Oh uh hey babe, I was just trying to put this guy in his place. Isn't that right pipsqueak?" Brad said looking at him with a face that said "if you tell her what's going on I'll kill you, but Ricky didn't care.

"Actually, Brad and I here were actually fighting because he couldn't keep his slimy hands off of a girl who didn't want his attention. Do what you want with that information. Okay bye." Ricky said grabbing Nini's hand as he swiftly left the room. They could hear the sound of that girl yelling all the way from down the hall causing both of them to laugh.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah thank you, hey do I know you?" She asked with a slur.

He could tell she was a little tipsy, but not so tipsy that she couldn't find her way home if she needed to. "Uh yeah my name is Ricky Bowen. We're neighbors." He reminded her.

She made a face that indicated a light bulb had went off in her head. "That's where I know you from. Damn how have you been Bowen? I've missed you."

He smiled. "Oh you know the same old same old. Hey it's actually pretty loud here do you wanna go somewhere quieter?"

She nodded and grabbed his wrist. "Yep I know the perfect place." She guided him to an empty bedroom in the basement.

After a while, she began to sober up and they began to catch up on each others lives. He had found out that she had left military school her sophomore year and attended a private high school in San Francisco for the last two years. She kept in contact with Gina and Ashlyn still through social media. She had just gotten back from her graduation two days ago, heard about this party, and decided to come.

"Hey actually, wanna continue this at my house? This place has kinda drained me." She said.

He nodded. "Yeah let me just text my friends I'm leaving."

He followed her out of the house and they began walking to her place. They were walking in comfortable silence for a while until she began talking.

"You know, I still have my doll, Princess." She said randomly.

He smirked at her. "Yeah?"

"Yep, I use her as a good luck charm."

"Really? I never would've thought you would use it for that."

"Yeah it's actually worked before. When I wanted an A on my biology test, I actually got one when I snuck her into my bag to class."

"Yooo there's no way."

"Yes way! I also used it once to pass my drivers test. I got a perfect score!" 

"I'm amazed. I wasn't aware that I bought some magical doll when I bought it at the age of 10."

"Do you still have Franklin?" She asked. "Yeah of course! I could never get rid of that little guy. He's become a part of my family now." Ricky joked. They both laughed. They had been so into their conversation that they didn't notice that they had arrived in front of her house.

"Oh wow, we got here a lot faster than I thought we would."

"Oh well do you think that your moms would be cool with me coming in at this hour?"

She smirked. "Both of my moms are in Cali right now until Sunday."

Ricky was internally really happy to hear that. "Oh okay cool."

She opened her front door and led him to her room upstairs. He sat on her bed while she went to her bathroom to get in her pjs. She came out wearing a spaghetti strap with very short shorts on. He tried his best to avert his eyes from her figure, which has changed tremendously since he last her.

"So what do you want to do now?" She asked as she plopped down beside him.

He shrugged. "Um I don't know. How about some tv?"

"Sounds good to me." She turned on her screen. The end of Dirty Dancing began playing on the screen where they are about to do the most iconic move of the movie.

Nini got excited when she saw this and got an idea. "Yo hear me out cuz this could be cool if we pull it off." She said gripping his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

"Let's try to do the lifting move from the movie."

He was thrown off by this request. "Uh are you sure? Cuz I could so easily drop you."

She nodded with the goofiest smile on her face. "Yeah you're tall enough and you seem like you could throw me up if you wanted to."

He couldn't argue with that logic. "Alright fine, but if you get hurt, it's not my fault."

She clapped and then jumped off of her bed. He went to the opposite side of the room while she did the same. "Ready?" She asked as she prepared to jump.

"As ready as I'll ever be princess."

She began running towards him, and he sprung her up in the air and began spinning.

"Oh my god Ricky we did it!"

He was impressed with himself to be honest. She wasn't heavy at all, but after a while he felt his arms begin to get a little wobbly. As if she could tell he was struggling, she slowly began to climb down trying not to fall. She accidentally slipped a little, but he caught her by wrapping her legs around his frame. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her from under her thighs.

She had fear in her eyes for a second, but that fear slowly turned into admiration. "Thanks."

"Anytime." He said so low it could've been a whisper.

They both felt a shift in their relationship just like they did when they first kissed except there was nobody there to stop them. She began to slowly inch her face forward until their lips collided for the second time. This kiss was very different from their first kiss because it was full of desire and passion.

He kissed her back with just as much passion resting them both on her bed with him on top. They had begun to heavy pet each other. Both were trying to touch as much skin as possible without detaching their lips. They hadn't even noticed that both of them were down to their underwear until Nini stopped to look him in the eye.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded with a little grin on her face. "Yeah of course. I'm the best I've ever been. I was actually wondering if you were okay with going all the way."

He pecked her forehead. "Yeah, but you should know I'm a virgin."

"Cool so am I." She admitted.

They both smiled at each other. "I happen to have condoms just in case this would've happened in my drawer." They made out for a little longer and did a little foreplay before deciding that they were both ready to begin.

"Ready?" She asked.

"More than ready."

An hour later, they lied in her bed naked under her sheets. Sweat had been dripping on their foreheads, and both of them were breathing a little hard. "How was it for you?" He asked looking over at her.

"It was actually a lot less painful than some of my friends said it was."

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment."

She rolled over and gave him a tender kiss. "You were great. I'm glad I lost it to an old friend and not some guy I'd probably never see again."

"Yeah I'm happy too."

"Do you want to spend the night? My parents won't be back until like evening on Sunday."

"I can stay I guess. My dad wouldn't mind."

She cuddled against him, and they laid in silence until both of them fell asleep.

The next day, he woke up due to the sunlight beaming in from the window. He stretched and looked over to a sleeping Nini resting on his torso. He smiled down at her. He really wanted to kiss her right then and there, but felt like that would be weird considering they aren't dating. She soon woke up after feeling him move around.

"Good morning princess." He said looking down at her adoringly.

She yawned and looked up at him. She reached up and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek. "Good morning Ricky."

He blushed and rubbed the area she kissed on her face. "What's the plan for the day?"

She looked a little taken aback by his question. "Oh well, I planned on beginning to pack when you left."

"Oh for college? Don't you think it's a little early for that? I mean you've got like two to three months until August."

She made an expressionless face and looked at him with a face that said I'm sorry. "Um Ricky I'm actually going to Europe very soon." 

"Oh wow, you're so lucky. I guess I'll see you when you get back."

"Yeah see that's the thing, I'm going straight to my dorm after I come back from backpacking around Europe. My moms agreed to take my things to my room and let me set up when I get there. I'm leaving in three days." 

He felt his heart break all over again. He swore some supernatural force of nature was constantly pulling her away from him every time it seemed like she was here to stay. He looked down at his lap trying his best not to look disappointed. "Oh..." Is all he could say. She seemed to have noticed his aura change and rested her hand on his back.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware you wanted me around like that. We can hang out the next three days until I leave."

That made him feel a little better. "Yeah that sounds good."

She crawled on top of his lap and gave him a few kisses all over his face trying her best to cheer him up. He finally smiled after she kissed his lips.

She kept her side of the promise and hung out with him for the next three days. The night before she had to leave to Paris, she had stayed over at his like old times. They had played songs together, watched movies, danced around his room, and even fooled around a little bit. It had been one of the best days of his life. 

Once night had come around, they had hugged for what felt like an eternity and shared one last passionate kiss. When he looked in her eyes after the kiss, he swore he saw a sparkle in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. She snuck a kiss on his cheek and bid farewell. He watched her enter her house from his window to make sure she got there safe. When she entered, he let himself think about his feelings for her.

This longtime crush had turned into something a little more after three days with her. He was too much of a coward to say his true feelings to her in fear of being rejected.

He didn't see her for another three years.

***

2024- Junior Year of college

Ricky and Big Red had gone to a fair being hosted a few towns away from their college, NYU. It was definitely a well deserved break for the both of them. Midterms have been kicking their asses and they definitely could use a break from the campus and city life in general. Big Red had actually suggested going to the fair since he heard about it from another friend on campus.

They had been on a few rides and decided to relax before getting on another one to avoid either of them puking. Ricky was chilling while listening to a story that Red was telling about one of the students in his film class until he heard a familiar female laugh from the distance. He averted his eyes the way of the voice and practically began floating over to her when he set his eyes on her.

She had been with her friend Ashlyn aka Big Red's ex. She laughed at something she had said and it was music to his ears. He hadn't even noticed he had gotten out of his seat and slowly began walking there like a zombie. "Yo dude where are you going?" His voice brought Ricky out of his trance and he looked at him.

"Holy hell when did I get up?"

"You just blanked out when you looked away for a second and began walking. What do you see?" Red asked as he walked to wherever Ricky was walking to. His eyes practically popped out of his head when he saw both Nini and his ex (who he definitely regretted breaking up with a few years ago). "Holy shit." Is all Red could get out.

"I swear fate keeps bringing me to her."

"You go talk to her. You never know when she's gonna take off for a few years again. I'll talk to Ashlyn I guess."

Ricky looked surprised at his friend's words. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah let's just go before I change my mind."

They both walked over to the laughing girls who hadn't seen them coming yet. Ashlyn was the first to notice them approaching. "Oh my god." Ashlyn said. Nini turned her head to see what caught Ashlyn's attention. They had found themselves staring at the two boys walking to them. "Oh my god, Ricky?" Nini said. Ricky smiled and nodded. She rested her drink on the table and wrapped him into a bone crushing hug.

Ricky wasn't prepared for her to be so affectionate after three years of not talking, but he still hugged her back with just as much passion.

"I've missed you Bowen." She whispered in his ear.

He smiled into her shoulder. "Not as much as I've missed you Princess." He said so naturally.

She finally let go, and he immediately missed her touch. "What brings you guys here?" She asked both of them.

"Well we were just trying to relieve some stress from taking a shit ton of midterms." Big Red said.

"Oh same here! Small world." Ashlyn said.

"What school do you guys go to?" Nini asked.

"We both go to NYU. How about you guys?" Ricky answered.

"We both go to Julliard. I didn't realize you weren't that far away from us. I wish I'd known; I would've visited by now." Nini said.

"Damn, well you guys gonna stick around a little longer cuz we could go on rides together if you want." Big Red suggested.

Nini and Ashlyn looked at each other and shrugged. "Sounds good to us." Ashlyn said.

They all accidentally paired themselves when they walked around the fair. Nini with Ricky and Big Red with Ashlyn. Surprisingly, Big Red and Ashlyn actually split off from the mini group first claiming they had things to discuss.

"Do you wanna go on a rollercoaster?" She asked. He nodded and he let her guide him to whatever ride she wanted to get on. She settled on a ride that has a lot of spins and loops. Ricky could already feel himself begin to get sick, but he didn't want to disappoint her. When the ride began spinning, he knew something was gonna come up soon and it was not gonna be pretty. 

"Ricky, are you okay?"

He then barfed right on her left shoe. He wanted to curl up in a ball and die. He heard her yelp and begin to wipe some of the barf on the ride. When they got off, she immediately ran to the bathroom to clean off the residue. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and waited for her outside the door. He felt so embarrassed.

When she finally got out of the bathroom, she stood in front of him. "Nini I am so sorry for that! That's so gross and embarrassing. I promise I'll get you a new pair as soon as my next pay check comes in."

She just laughed and waved him off. "Nah don't worry about it. I was gonna get rid of these ole gals anyway." God could she get anymore perfect?

"Let me at least buy you a slushy or something"

"Nah I'd rather get one of the stuffed animals from that crane game over there." Nini said pointing at the machine.

"Deal."

After three tries, he finally got her a huge white teddy bear. She hugged it to her chest, and he swore it was one of the most adorable things he's ever seen.

"What are you gonna name it?"

She thought about it for a moment before answering. "I think I will call her Francesca, but Frankie for short."

"That's a little close to Franklin." He joked.

"Yep that's where I got the idea."

That brought a smile to his face. "Well I know Franklin would love to meet her one day."

"Hey if you're up for it, do you wanna go on the Ferris wheel before the fair closes? It's basically an obligation to ride the Ferris wheel at fairs." She suggested.

"Yeah sounds good to me."

"You think you'll barf on that one too?" She asked jokingly.

He rolled his eyes and flipped her off causing her to laugh. 

They hopped on the cart of the Ferris wheel and scooted close to each other. The city was truly beautiful from the top of the Ferris wheel. The two had took this time to talk about what they were up to these days. Apparently, Nini was a theater major and was going to graduate a year early and head to the Philippines for a month to learn more about her culture. Ricky had told her he was a mass comm major with a minor in theater. They both like to write and sing music on their free time. 

The cart stopped at the top for a few minutes. A comfortable silence fell upon them, and Ricky found himself staring down at her lovingly like he always did. She looked up at him when she caught him staring. "What's on your mind?" She asked. He rested his palm on her cheek, and they locked eyes. 

"How much I want to kiss you." He answered boldly.

She smiled. "What's stopping you?"

He smirked and connected their lips together. She gripped his t-shirt to pull him closer while he deepened the kiss. 

Both of them felt their hearts glow even when they finally released each other. Nini gave him a quick peck on the lips before resting her head on his shoulder. Ricky pulled her as close as he could into him and rested his head on top of hers.

The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence as they just enjoyed the scenery and the presence of the other. When they got off, they saw Ashlyn and Red walking hand and hand towards the Ferris wheel. "Oh hey guys, you ready to go?" Ashlyn called out.

"Oh yeah sure, but first what's going on between you two?" Nini asked pointing at their joined hands.

The red headed couple blushed the same color of their hair. "We talked things out and we're gonna take it slow." Big Red explained.

"Awe how cute. I'm happy for you guys. You know, I always felt like you'd find your way back to each other." Ricky said.

"I can say the same for you two." Ashlyn said. Her comment made both Ricky and Nini blush.

"Anyways, you guys ready to head out cuz I am tired and we have a 20 minute drive." Nini asked hoping they wouldn't continue on about her relationship with Ricky.

"Yep let's get out of here." Big Red said as they all exited the fair. Before the girls got in their cars, the boys had said goodbye. Big Red and Ashlyn we're currently giving each other a nice long bear hug, while Ricky and Nini were watching them on the other side of the car.

"They're so cute." Nini said.

Ricky nodded. "Yeah I'd like what they have one day."

He noticed she made a weird expression that he couldn't make out when he said that. "So um what's next for you?"

"Oh well next week, I'm going back home for a week, so I'm happy about that. New York's cold weather can be ruthless." Nini said.

"And then what's after that?" He asked hopefully.

"Well I was offered an internship in DC. I'm going there after I'm done in the Philippines for a few years."

He frowned at hearing that. And just like that, she was walking away from his life again. "Oh that sounds fun; you're gonna be amazing. I just know it."

"Yeah well I'll see you around Bowen. Hey maybe next time I bump into you, our bears can go on a little date." She joked.

He let out a little chuckle. "Yeah sounds great."

"Bye Ricky." She gave him a peck on his cheek and got in her car.

"Bye princess." He waved both of the girls off.

Red rested his hand on Ricky's back already knowing what's going on in his head. "Don't worry dude. She'll be back. She always comes back."

"Yeah let's hope."

They both walked to Big Red's car and drove back to town.

He didn't see her for another three years.

***  
2027

One of Ricky's favorite parts of New York was the amount of art in the city. Theater kids, musical artists, and painters were just such an amazing group of people. He always found himself surrounded by people that liked some branch of art.

Juilliard, School of Visual Arts, and NYU had come together and rented a portion of a museum for a day to demonstrate various art made by art students of the present and past. Ricky had gone alone since art wasn't really Red's thing. Plus, Big Red was hanging out with Ashlyn more these days anyways (they were basically married).

Though he appreciated the creations surrounding him, he was enticed by the musical related projects. There were plenty of people playing their original songs or doing covers from musicals or regular songs. He had been walking in a rather quiet hall admiring the canvases on the walls to get away from the crowd until he heard a soft singing voice from the last room down the hall.

He noticed the song that was being played was City of Stars from La La Land, which was one of his favorite musical movies. A woman had been singing both parts on the piano and he was dying to see the owner of this beautiful voice.

He decided to enter the room and was shocked to see the one and only Nini playing the piano in an empty room on a stage. She was dressed in the most gorgeous dark pink dress he'd ever seen. Her hair was pent up and she was wearing dark pink lipstick to match the dress. She was so into the music that she didn't notice his presence. 

He slowly began to approach her watching her in awe. Suddenly, the lights in the room went out which caused her to stop playing for a second. Ricky got out his phone and lifted a light to her. She gasped when she noticed somebody was there with her. She couldn't make out his face from where she was standing, so she stared at him like a deer trapped in headlights.

Ricky jumped up on the stage and set the light of his phone on top of the piano so that they can see the keys. When he sat down, she recognized him immediately. "It's you." She said looking at him with a sparkle in her eye. He smiled back at her and began playing the melody to the song and began singing. She eventually joined him on the piano, and their voices matched in perfect harmony.

Once they were done, their fingers had grazed each other by accident causing Nini to look at him. He looked back at her and intertwined their hands.

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you too princess."

She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder like she did all those years ago not undoing their bonded hands. 

"Are you here to stay?"

She already knew what he meant. "For now."

That made his heart glow, and he finally felt hope about them being something in the future.

"Good." And it was good.

She actually had stayed in New York with him for 4 years without traveling somewhere drastic for a long period of time. They had become the closest they'd ever been and even got their families to rekindle the bond they had lost the first time she left. Franklin and Frankie finally got to go on a teddy date. The two had even started making songs and posting it on Ricky's YouTube.

She only appeared in one video because she didn't like the idea of becoming too famous despite wanting to act. She liked being a local actress in New York for now. Maybe she'll accept fame a little later. He respected that and decided to still give her credit anytime she partook in the creation of any of his hits.

In late 2027, he actually got extremely popular off of one of his duets with Nini called Just For a Moment on his YouTube channel which started off his musical career. He had become more popular as time went on, but made sure to not let the fame get to his head.

Over the span of four years, both had realized that they had loved each other, but both were too afraid of rejection or ruining their current relationship. Ricky of course had known a long time that he loved her, but Nini didn't realize it until after she left the fair. He had never left her mind during those three years apart and she had realized that she had fallen for him.

When 2031 came along, Nini was tired of keeping her long term secret. She had been relaxing on the couch with Ricky in her apartment watching tv when she realized that she needed to let him know how she felt.

"Ricky." 

He looked at her. "What's up princess?"

She sat up straight and held her hands together. He could tell by her posture that whatever she was about to say was serious. He rested a comforting hand on her shoulder to help her relax. "Ricky, this is hard for me to say so please just don't be weird okay?"

He was starting to get worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine." She took a deep breath before looking him in the eyes. You can do this Nini.

"I love you." She finally said. Ricky felt his soul leave his body when she said those words. Nothing could've ever prepared him for that. He literally froze in his spot. He didn't speak for a full minute which made Nini feel like she made a big mistake.

"I've gotta go." He said getting up quickly as he walked to the door. She turned around to look at him from the couch confused on why he would react like this. He looked back at her and could tell that she was crestfallen, which broke his heart. "I think we need a little break. I'll catch you a little later okay?" 

He closed the door behind him before she could say anything else. When he did close the door, she finally let the tears rolls down her face. She gripped onto one of the decorative pillows as support and let herself ball. She was trying to make sense of everything. She could've sworn he'd feel the same way, but I guess he was just being friendly and she misunderstood.

She turned off the tv, turned off all the lights, and cried herself to sleep that night. Fine, if it's a break he wants, that's what he'll get.

Ricky immediately regretted his reaction when he was doing it. He has no idea why he couldn't say it back despite knowing he felt the same for two decades. Maybe he was afraid of ending up like his parents or maybe he was afraid that their relationship would be destroyed if they were to break up. Either way, he knew he fucked up when he left that apartment.

He also knew damn well she didn't want to see him anytime soon, so he decided to give her some space. He felt like a little break could be healthy for them. Then he can explain why he didn't say it back and all will be well. Yeah.

A week had gone by and Nini hadn't responded to any of his texts or calls. She got rid of social media a few weeks ago to cleanse herself, so he couldn't contact her through that either. When another week had gone by without her response, he decided to go over himself.

"Nini open up! I know you're in there." He said pounding on the door. Silence. He began pounding again a little more fiercely. "Come on Nini, you know I have an extra key." Silence. "Okay I'm coming in." He unlocked her door and was shocked to see no one there. He saw a note on the table and picked it up.

_Dear Ricky,_

_By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. You said you wanted a break, so you got it. Take care of my plants and Frankie for me._

_Nini_

Ricky crumbled the note and banged his fists on the table. He was so incredibly mad at himself for saying those words. How come he couldn't just say it like she did? He felt himself begin to tear up a little. He had to get her back and explain everything. And that's when he realized the note hadn't said where exactly she went.

He didn't even bother with trying to contact her since she wouldn't respond, so he called Momma Carol since she always was the one who couldn't keep a secret. "Hello?"

"Hi Momma Carol, I was just wondering if you knew where Nini could've gone."

"Oh she left somewhere? She didn't tell me anything. She probably knew that I couldn't keep secrets. Hold on let me ask Dana." Of course she didn't tell Carol. "Dana said that she went out of state and will be gone for a year. She was offered a job three weeks ago apparently."

Ricky felt himself panicking at her words. A year?! And she didn't actually say where exactly she was going to her own mothers? He'll never find her until she comes back. "Thanks, you guys take care." Ricky said as he hung up. He rustled his hands through his hair and plopped down on her couch. He royally fucked up this time. This was the only time she had left because of him.

So he did what he always did when he didn't know how to put his feelings into normal words. He began writing.

During that year she was gone, he wrote an entire album called Common Sense which was fully dedicated to her. It had become his most popular album and made his fan count go up. He was glad people liked his music, but was upset behind the reason the album was made in the first place.

He had been counting the days until she could've possibly been back from where she went, and he did take care of her plants and Frankie while she was gone. It had been 10 bland months without her presence. 10 whole months without laughing at their inside jokes. 10 whole months without her touch.

He didn't think he'd feel this much pain from another human beings absence. He knew he deserved it though. So he waited.

***  
2033

"So did you ever see her again?" Shawn asked. The man had been here for three hours fully invested in his story.

Ricky replies with a simple shrug. "Yeah you could say that."

This confused Shawn a little bit. "Well would you do anything to get her back?"

"I'd do anything to keep her in my life."

"And my final question for the day is: do you still love her?"

Ricky smiled and felt a glow in his heart. "With all my heart."

"Well good luck finding her again son. If she's like what you described, she'll come back to you." Shawn reassured.

"I'll take your word for that." 

"Alright that concludes our segment for your love story, so I should be heading out now." Shawn packed his things.

When he was done packing, Ricky walked him to the door. "Have a good one." Shawn said.

"Yeah you too." Ricky said back as he watched the man fully leave his driveway. Ricky sighed a breath of relief. He walked to the basement door and opened it.

"Okay you can come out now."

The sound of footsteps came from the basement stairs. Nini appeared at the top of the stairs and looked around. "He's gone?"

"Yep, I stuck to the plan."

"Good." She jumped up to hug him.

"You sure you don't mind keeping our relationship under the radar for now?" Nini asked.

Ricky kissed her on the forehead. "I'd do anything for you princess." It was true. 

Ricky left a small piece of the story out at the end. He didn't tell him about them rekindling after being 13 months, 20 days, and 11 hours apart. But who's counting? He didn't say how he confessed his love for her the moment she walked into her apartment and saw he was there watering her plants.

He didn't talk about the amount of love making they did when they finally got together a year ago. And he didn't say how he believed that she was the only woman in the world for him. As much as he wanted to gush about his relationship, he knew it was best to keep them secret from Hollywood at the moment. 

Nini walked to the stereo in the living room and began playing Thinking Out Loud. She reached her hand out to him, and he already knew what she wanted. He brought her close to him by wrapping his arms around her frame and rested his head on hers. She rested her head in his chest while her arms were wrapped around his neck. He began to rock them slowly to the beat of the song.

He knew that she wouldn't go anywhere anytime soon. This time she truly was here to stay, and he couldn't be happier. He pecked the top of her head. 

"I love you princess." He whispered into her ear.

"I love you too."

***

_Love should be a slow burn not a wild fire._


End file.
